Growing Methods for a Victory Garden
Things you should know before starting your victory garden.
In our victory garden, we plan to grow tomatoes, kale, spinach, arugula, lettuce, and carrots, vegetables that are substantial, easy to grow, and delicious. The fact that they are filling and nutritious was important to us in making decisions about types of vegetables, since we personally were inspired by the Victory Garden Legacy to plan to plant food to donate to the local soup kitchen. Below is a diagram of our garden, in this case planted in beds.
Planning a Garden
When you make a diagram for a garden, a lot of thought must go into the plan in order for it to be useful. Things to consider include:
- What types of plants do you want to grow? Will you grow vegetables or fruits?
- What do you need to know about these plants?
- Where will you plant your garden?
- Will you use raised beds or rows, hydroponics or large-scale farming? Do your research!
- If plants will share space, in order to save time preparing soil, what plants need to go together? That is, combine them based on pH (see below for definition), sunlight, water requirements, etc.
- What plants need more sunlight? Which like shade? Arrange them accordingly, knowing where the sun is most of the time.
- Will you use GMO or non-GMO seeds? Do not be hasty, read about the differences.
- Will you employ companion planting or crop rotation?
- Will you grow your food organically?
But first- tune into the first-ever installment of Bad Fruit and Vegetable Jokes! with your host, Kolby Durocher. Enjoy!
How do you turn soup into gold?
You Put 14 carrots In It!!!!!
How do you fix a tomato?
With Tomato Paste!!!!!
What is the most dangerous vegetable to have on a boat?
A Leek!!!!!
What is the saddest fruit?
Blueberries!!!!!
What do you get when peas fight?
Black-Eyed Peas!!!!!!!!
Why were the strawberries so upset?
They Were In A Jam!!!!!!
What vegetable can you find in your basement?
Cellar-y!!!!!!
You Put 14 carrots In It!!!!!
How do you fix a tomato?
With Tomato Paste!!!!!
What is the most dangerous vegetable to have on a boat?
A Leek!!!!!
What is the saddest fruit?
Blueberries!!!!!
What do you get when peas fight?
Black-Eyed Peas!!!!!!!!
Why were the strawberries so upset?
They Were In A Jam!!!!!!
What vegetable can you find in your basement?
Cellar-y!!!!!!
Different Types of Soil
Not all soil is created equal! For your victory garden, you need well-drained, moist and nutrient-rich soil. To begin, take a look at your soil as is. Is it clumpy? Dry? Dark and rich? If your soil resembles clay, it will not be well-drained or aerated and plants will not get the nutrients they need. In this case, it is important to add natural matter such as compost or leaves, and to break up large clumps with a pitchfork. Avoid people stepping on the soil, which along with normally compacted soil will prevent the soil having enough room for helpful fungi to grow and encourage harmful bacteria to grow. For an in-depth explanation of how to improve your soil depending on specific issues, see the link below.
The ideal soil is crumbly but moist, dark and will be full of living organisms like worms, fungi, and little plants.
What is pH?
It is important to understand what pH is before beginning a garden. First, a general idea of what pH is and why it is important, according to Professor M.J. Singer of the University of California:
"It is a measure of the relative amount of free hydrogen (H+) and hydroxyl ions (OH-). That is, it tells the degree to which something—such as soil, water, or any solution—is basic or acidic... Optimal plant growth is dependent on soil pH because it affects the availability of all plant nutrients. Plant production and health are impaired at either high (>8) or low (<6) pH, because of nutrient limitations and potential toxicities. A pH of 6.0 to 6.5 is in an ideal range that optimizes the availability of many micro- and macronutrients."
In simple terms, pH measures the ability of the roots of a plant to absorb nutrients from soil. Why do you care? In order to plant an effective garden and not kill your plants, you must have a good idea of what pH your plants require. Most need a pH of around 6-6.5, some a little more, some a little less, which is easily found out online. To prepare garden beds, you need to know your soil's initial pH. If it is too acidic, you can add lime or wood ashes to raise the pH, or if it is too basic, consider using organic materials to lower the pH over time, though this may take several years. If you're in a hurry, sulfur or aluminum sulfate added sparingly will do the trick. Till the materials into the soil. After a few weeks or years, depending on what you used, test the pH again to see if it has improved.
A pH scale, used to show how acidic or alkaline (basic) a substance is. It shows the pH of various everyday substances.
What is a GMO?
You have probably heard the word before, most likely with a negative connotation. Before jumping to conclusions, however, it is important to make an educated decision based on research.
In our garden, we used non-GMO seeds, mainly because GMO seeds are still a work in progress and not much is known yet about their long-term health and environmental effects. A GMO, short for Genetically Modified Organism, is any living thing that has had its genes modified whether by human selection (example: dog breeding) or by lab experimentation (tomatoes that don't freeze!). Interestingly enough, although mentioning the word GMO can make people instantly say things like, "Oh, I don't eat those. Yeah, it's so gross," what many don't realize is that a great deal of our food is genetically modified. What's more, the idea of GMOs is not always fully understood- the fact is that almost all food is technically genetically modified, as humans and nature have been selecting it for the best traits for as long as we have roamed the earth and meddling with its DNA, even though we have not always understood how this works. What most people think of when they think of GMOs are organisms that have been unnaturally modified in a laboratory, when really almost everything is genetically modified. It is thus important not to make hasty statements based on conceptions you already have.
People really don't know the outcomes of eating lots of genetically modified food. The problems with using non-GMO seeds are they usually cost more and they don't have the qualities that GMO seeds might have like pest resistance and better yield. However, it seems that the costs of using GMO seeds- possible health complications, the fact that one GMO species could take over and make extinct another- outweighed the benefits to us, so we went with non-GMO seeds.
Compare and Contrast Different Growing Methods
Though you have no doubt heard of organic farming, GMOs and crop rotation before, it is important to understand both sides of the idea before making a decision on what you do. Below are just a sampling of comparisons between different growing methods.
Pros and Cons of GMO seeds
Pros
-Cheaper -Can have desirable traits like antifreeze -Sterile |
Cons
-People are scared away by GMO -Can create superweeds -Can effect other genes -Banned in most countries -Can create new proteins we are allergic to |
Comparing Crop Rotation and Companion Planting
Companion Planting
Companion planting involves planting complementary plants that help each other out next to one another. Though much is based on folklore, some research suggests that a few partnerships do actually work.
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Crop Rotation
Crop rotation, moving crops around from one field to the next each year, has been used for thousands of years to prevent nutrients from being sucked out of soil.
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Organic vs. Conventional Fertilizer
Conventional Fertilizer
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Organic Fertilizer
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-Improvement occurs in days
-Produces exact amount of nutrients -Amounts of nutrients are on package -They are inexpensive -You know exactly what nutrients are going to your plant -Chemical fertilizers are made from non-renewable sources -Can contribute to greenhouse gasses -There is a danger of over fertilization -less flavor and color in products -Can destroy nitrogen fixed bases -Easy to over fertilize -Must be bought |
-Improvement occurs naturally and takes time
-Can be expensive -Nutrient ratios are unsure -The effectiveness of organic fertilizer is limited seasonally -Can be smelly -Could be labor-intensive and time-consuming -Environmentally friendly -Little to no risk of toxic buildups -Difficult to over fertilize -Produces tastier and more colorful fruits -Comes naturally from compost -Chemical free -Easy to obtain from local farmers- less money spent |